Chemical and physical properties of anhydrous milk fat, low and very high melting milk fat fractions obtained by a commercial fractionation process

Chemical and physical properties of anhydrous milk fat (AMF), low melting milk fat fraction (LMF) and very high melting milk fat fraction (VHMF) obtained by a commercial fractionation of the same batch of AMF were investigated. Saponification, iodine, free fatty acids, peroxide, Reichert Meissl, Polenske and Krishner values were significantly (p<0.05) higher in LMF than VHMF and AMF. Short chain fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids were significantly (p<0.05) higher in LMF. The medium and long chain saturated fatty acids were significantly (p<0.05) higher in VHMF. DSC curves showed differences between the samples. Refractive indices for AMF, LMF and VHMF were 1.4524, 1.4543 and 1.4517, temperatures for 50% melt were 8.6, 2.7 and 33.5°C, melting points were 35.6,16.9 and 44.9°C, solidified fat contents were 20.1, 8.9 and 49.6% at 10°C and the enthalpies of fusion (ΔH_f) were 80.8, 61.9 and 110.5 J/g, respectively. Differences in chemical and physical properties between the samples were attributed to differences in the fatty acid compositions.